Abstract
This chapter sets out what this book does and why it matters. It provides an introduction to the key terms engaged with: gender, violent extremism and countering violent extremism. It also explores the need to understand the gender dynamics of both Islamist and far right extremism and how to counter this in five countries in Europe and North America—Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK—at this time. It outlines the comparative framework to be undertaken and the core approach, which prioritises the lived experiences of communities with violent extremism and interventions aimed at countering it. This chapter also provides a background to the historic neglect of gender in studies of terrorism and extremism, and the negative effects.
Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.
(UNESCO Constitution (1945))
Violent extremism is an affront to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. It undermines peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. No country or region is immune from its impacts.
(United Nations Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, Report of the Secretary-General (2015) (A/70/674))
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Notes
- 1.
An estimated 26 per cent of the €478 million budget of the Instrument Contributing to Security and Peace for the period 2014–2020 was earmarked for counter-terrorism and P/CVE-related actions; the €30.5 billion European Development Fund, which supports the implementation of the EU Sahel Regional Action Plan 2015–2020 and the EU Horn of Africa Regional Action Plan 2015–2020, includes P/CVE as a strategic objective to be implemented through projects contributing to peace and security, and good governance, the rule of law, justice reform, economic integration and resilience; some €10 million was allocated by the EU through its European Neighbourhood Instrument in 2015 to support action on counter-radicalisation and foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) in its Southern Neighbourhood, including by supporting civil society; and the €1.8 billion EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa includes support for P/CVE activities (European Peacebuilding Liaison Office 2016).
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Pearson, E., Winterbotham, E., Brown, K.E. (2020). Introduction. In: Countering Violent Extremism. Rethinking Political Violence. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21962-8_1
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